


This was real

by Irondad_Spiderson_duo



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Tears, Uhhhh good Platonic ralbert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-11-12 17:44:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18015461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Irondad_Spiderson_duo/pseuds/Irondad_Spiderson_duo
Summary: After an accident, Spot is hospitalized and Race blames himself.I wrote this on Tumblr a while ago bc of an ask from a lovely pal so I thought I'd just,, move it on over here, y'know?





	This was real

**Author's Note:**

> Uhhhh this is my first time writing sprace so... Heh

Race paced in the waiting room of the hospital, his mind spiraling. The pounding in his chest reached his ears, blocking out all the sounds around him. His head felt like someone was beating it with a mallet and everything was far too loud but that didn't matter because-

"Race?" Albert's voice snapped Race out of his gaze, his shoes squeaking on the tiles as he stopped abruptly. Race blinked as he noticed his best friend standing in front of him, concern etched across his face, "You okay?"

Race nodded quickly and then followed it up with a shake of his head, "No. No, I'm not okay," He admitted, his voice cracking as he wrapped his arms around himself.

Albert nodded in understanding, reaching out but then freezing before looking up at Race, "Can I?" He asked, his hands outstretched.

The slightest nod from Race was all it took for Albert to pull him into a hug. Race sunk into the touch, his form falling as tears pooled in his eyes.

"I need you to know that it's not your fault," Albert said firmly, his hand rubbing along Race's back.

Race just shook his head as he slowly pulled away, his eyes trained on the floor. 

"It's not." Albert stated, his voice breaking slightly.

Race looked up at him, his face drawn in defeat, "That doesn't matter." 

Albert ran a hand over his face, "It does matter. It matters if you go in there blaming yourself like this. It matters when Spot wakes up and-" 

"If." Race interrupted.

"When." Albert restated, "It matters when he wakes up and sees you, because the last thing he needs to see is you blaming yourself for something that was out of your control." 

"I could've done something," Race choked out, his voice barely audible.

Albert shook his head and opened his mouth to protest but Race beat him to it, "He was hit by a fucking car, Al. We were about to cross the street but I stopped on the sidewalk to- to point out something so stupid- God why did I- and he.. he just kept walking and he was, fuck, he was laughing Albert, he was laughing!" Race felt hot tears fall from his eyes as he relived the incident from earlier.

"A-and I saw it, I saw the car but I- I didn't think and then he-" Race's words got caught in his throat as he choked on a sob, his shoulders shaking.

He buried his face in Albert's shoulder the minute his friend enveloped him again, his touch the only thing grounding him at the moment.

The two stood together in the waiting room for what seemed like an eternity, the only sounds being Race's sobs and Albert's words of comfort.

"Anthony Higgins?" Race lifted his head off of Albert's shoulder as a nurse entered the waiting room. She offered him a sympathetic smile when he turned towards her, "Are you here for Sean Conlon?" She asked, the words sending chills down Race's spine.

Not trusting his voice at the moment, Race just nodded.

"Alright, follow me please." She instructed before turning and walking down the hallway.

Race shot Albert a glance and only started walking when he gave him a light push. 

"He's stable as of right now." The nurse informed him as she opened the door to room 34B. 

Race nodded as he walked into the dim room, his breath hitching in his throat once his eyes fell on the bed, his throat so tight that he was barely able to utter out a quiet, "Thank you." 

The nurse placed her hand on the door handle, "Of course. And Mr. Higgins?" Race turned towards her again, his vision obscured by unfallen tears, "We're still unsure, but we believe that he'll recover. He's very lucky." She said before leaving him alone in the room. 

Race stared at the closed door in shock, a small feeling of relief mixing with the guilt that resided in his gut.

His feet moved subconsciously across the floor until Race was sitting in a chair by the bed. He swallowed dryly as he stared at Spot, his eyes wandering over the cuts and bruises visible along his skin.

"Oh Spotty.." Race whispered as he reached out and took Spot's hand, ignoring the way his own was shaking.

Hot tears blurred Race's sight, but he kept his eyes trained on his fiance's face. He offered the unconscious boy a sad smile as he looked down at their hands.

"What are we gonna do?" He asked, part of him hoping that Spot would wake up at that moment and tell him that everything was going to be okay.

Race wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, his breath hitching as he inhaled, "We.. we had a plan Spot. We were gonna.." Race sniffed and looked at the ceiling before focusing back on Spot, "We were gonna get married and.. and get a- a real house with a n-nice big yard.. like you wanted, y'know?" 

"And we'll get a- a dog, too." A watery laugh fell from Race's mouth, "We can have a dog in a house.. and we can go traveling and.. take stupid pictures and buy each other shitty souvenirs and.. just.. god, Sean." 

Race placed his head in his hands as his shoulders shook, "Please," His voice broke as he looked back at Spot, "Please be okay." 

Race reached forward and grabbed Spot's hand with both of his, "I need you, Spotty. I- I can't do this without you, please, I-" The words died on Race's lips as he stared at Spot in silence, tears painting his face. Race shook his head before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Spot's hairline.

"Wake up for me. Please."

\--

Race stirred and lazily blinked his eyes as sleep ebbed away from him. He pressed his face into the hospital bed with a groan, his back sore from sleeping in a hunched position. Race went to sit up and stretch, but froze when he felt gentle fingers carding through his hair.

He immediately sat up, his eyes wide as they flew up to Spot's face. To his eyes. 

Spot?" Race breathed, tears flooding his vision.

Spot blinked slowly as a smile spread across his face, "Hey, Sunshine." 

Race let out a laugh of relief as he surged forward and wrapped his arms around Spot. The smaller boy let out a yell of pain upon impact, causing Race to pull back immediately, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I-" He began but was stopped as Spot grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him down into a kiss.

Race melted into the action, his hands cupping the side of Spot's face. Race placed his forehead against Spot's after they parted, his eyes slipping shut in relief as he held onto him.

Tears fell from under Race's closed eyelids as he took in a shaky breath, "Please don't ever scare me like that again." 

Spot leaned away slightly, his gaze soft as he looked at Race, "I'll try not to make a habit out of it." He assured him, his heart fluttering as Race laughed lightly.

"Hey Tony?" Spot asked quietly, his voice slightly slurred from the medication.

Race lifted his head and smiled at Spot, his heart full, "Yeah?"

Spot placed a kiss on Race's nose before leaning back into the pillows, "Marry me?"

Race blinked at Spot, who was portraying the most genuine expression Race had ever seen on him. Race smiled, "You already asked me, Spotty," He held up his hand in indication, showing off the silver band that Spot had given him.

"I know." Spot hummed, "I just want to hear you say it again.. just to make sure it was real." 

Hot tears stung Race's eyes as he stared at Spot, his hand reaching up to cup the side of his face, "Alright." He whsipered, gently kissing Spot before, "I'll marry you."

The laugh that came from Spot at that moment was one that Race will never forget; one that he'll always look back to as they continue to laugh endlessly with each other.

This was real, and he was beyond happiness.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeyeyeye my bois
> 
> (It got real sappy at the end oof)
> 
> Thanks to @papesdontsellthemselves for requesting this, you're a gem


End file.
